RESIDENTS IN REGION 10 SEEK BUDGET REFERENDUM

Residents of Harwinton and Burlington are circulating a petition to try to force a referendum on the proposed 1997-98 Region 10 school budget.

Janet Burritt of Harwinton said she is one of about five people trying to collect enough signatures to force the two-town vote.

The proposed $21,251,412 budget for next fiscal year calls for an increase in spending of 5.72 percent.

School Superintendent Robert Goldman said that increase would be roughly the same as those of recent years were it not for the bond payments due next year. About $314,000 of the proposed hike is interest on bonds sold to fund construction projects at Lewis S. Mills High School and Harwinton Consolidated School.

More than half the budget increase comes from the bond payments and from salary increases negotiated with the teachers' union.

Burritt, who wants the budget cut, said a referendum would allow more people to participate.

"I think reduction is a good way to go, and I feel that the people circulating the petitions are interested in everyone having a chance to vote," she said.

Because the budget meeting traditionally is held at night at the high school, Burritt said, many people who would like to attend the meeting cannot.

The petitioners need to collect a total of 200 signatures from the district's two towns. Petitions must be forwarded to the town clerks in both towns by May 2.

As of Thursday, Burritt said, she had collected about eight signatures. Others circulating petitions could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Goldman said he thinks the spending plan is fair.

"I think that it's a very reasonable budget," he said, "and I would hope that either at the district meeting or through the referendum process that citizens would look favorably on our budget and hopefully pass it."

The district budget meeting is scheduled for May 5. If enough signatures are gathered in time and certified by the town clerks, the meeting would be adjourned to a referendum May 6.

That the Region 10 budget should be heading toward a referendum is not unusual. Last year, a petition drive forced such a vote; in 1994 voters took six referendum votes to pass the district budget.

No petitions had been turned in at the Harwinton or Burlington town halls by Thursday afternoon.